Whispers in the Night (Rewritten)
by WrathofWinds
Summary: Lust and morale war with each other, the strings of temptation tug at the hearts of men and women, but is it so hard to forget the heinous crimes of one's past and start anew? In her mind, she remembers his crimes against Hyrule, but the sorcerer has ways in seduction and manipulation. /Rewriting.
1. Chapter One: Illusions

The candlelight on the princess' bedside table flickered pathetically, as if it would go out at any moment. However, she kept her eyes on it, wide awake this night, for she felt a sense of unease in the air, one that she could not explain and thus, she stayed awake.

The double doors to her room suddenly creaked open, her blue eyes darting towards the doors, and she sighed in relief as she saw it was only her father.

"Zelda? You're still awake?" he whispered to her from the door. His fat face was creased in worry for his daughter's well being, the princess had been suffering many sleepless nights as of late.

"Daddy, please, don't worry about me." Here, the princess gave him a small smile, then continued, "Give me a little bit longer to fall asleep, it is nothing, I assure you."

The king sighed, walking into her room and closing the door behind him and sitting on her bed, stroking her long, blond hair. She watched her father as he did this, feeling guilt for causing her father any sort of pain or anxiety. He was getting older now, his health deteriorating, so it did not ease her conscience when she thought of all of the stress she was putting her father through.

"You must sleep, daughter. You have your birthday celebration tomorrow and you must be wide awake to greet the visiting dignitaries." he murmured.

Zelda frowned at this, thinking of her upcoming eighteenth birthday. She knew why her father was throwing her an elaborate party. However, she was not excited for that reason.

"I am growing old, Zelda, and I need you to find a husband to settle down with. Our kingdom needs a ruler, and we must carry on our bloodline."

"But daddy...!" she complained, causing the king to heave a heavy sigh. He had heard this complaint far too many times.

"But nothing, Zelda! We have talked about this more than enough times, you are the next in line for the throne, but you need a king to rule alongside you!" he said, his tone ringing with finality.

The princess huffed, turning away from her father and glaring at the candle once more.

The king exhaled a heavy sigh, then got up, turning to his daughter again. "In time, you will thank me, Zelda." he said softly as he headed towards the doors, shutting them behind his fat form, his heavy footsteps echoing down the slumbering castle's corridors.

Zelda then broke down into tears once he had left, burying her face into the pillow as she wept freely. She didn't want to marry anyone, at least not yet. True, she dreamed of love, but how was arranged marriage anything close to love?

Her mind travelled to Link, and her heart ached more, her tears flowing more freely as she thought of her best friend. She recalled when he left a year ago, intending to hone his skills as a knight and explore the lands past Hyrule. After the sealing of Vaati, the enemy of Hyrule who had nearly killed Zelda and enslaved the kingdom, Link had decided to leave Hyrule after his deed was complete in order to temper his blade. He had assured her that he would be back soon, that they would write to each other every day. However, the princess was left feeling disappointed, for during the whole time that he was gone, she had only received a handful of letters much to her hurt.

He must have been too busy to write... she had assured herself so many times. For who knew what the other lands were like? What dangers and monsters they housed?

And so the princess continued to weep into her pillow, drenching it in tears.

It wasn't until the door creaked open slowly did she stop, looking up and expecting her father to be standing at the door. However, no one was there, causing goosebumps to rise on her fair skin.

"W-Who's there?" she called out.

Silence.

The castle's slumbering state suddenly shifted, the eerie, deafening silence seeming to beat against her eardrums.

The princess started to shake in fear, grabbing her blanket and huddling herself into it.

"Guards!" she cried, her eyes on the ajar doors. However, no one came at her demand.

The candlelight beside her suddenly flickered then went out and her room submerged into total darkness, earning a scream from the princess. Yet, still, nobody came to check on her.

The princess huddled into her blanket, shaking violently, what was going on?

She peeked towards the ajar door, the deafening silence still suffocating her.

"Guards!" she called again. Silence once more.

She then got up, shaking violently in her fear as she began walking towards the door herself, wondering where her guards were or where anyone was for that matter.

She stepped outside of her room, looking around the dark corridors, the unearthly silence seeming to impose itself more onto her once she was out of her room. Despite the torches being lit, the darkness seemed to absorb any light, nothing but pitch blackness around the princess.

Quivering, she willed herself forward, calling out for any guards, servants, maids, even her father, but alas, nothing but the quiet greeted her.

Her footsteps echoed in the halls, and with each step she took, the silence became more threatening, as if it would reach out and attack her with pointed fangs.

Soon, she made it to the throne room, and breathed a sigh of relief once she saw her father seated in his throne, seemingly sleeping.

The torches in the throne room burned brightly, illuminating the room, and quickly, Zelda hurried in, slamming the doors shut behind her.

She approached her father, shaking his thick shoulder to rouse him from his sleep.

"Daddy, wake up! Something is terribly wrong in the castle, there are no guards anywhere, and there seems to be a great evil lurking upon us!" she said, shaking his shoulder more urgently.

The king looked up to her with a frown on his face and he then spoke, "Zelda...? You are still awake...? Princess, how utterly stubborn you are..."

"Yes, but daddy, something is in the castle, I am sure of it! Something evil, something unwelcomed, we must alert the guards and quickly!"

The king stood, a glint in his eyes as he surveyed his daughter. Immediately, the welcoming aura she had felt previously from this room began to evaporate, as she felt unease from the king.

"D-Daddy...?" she whimpered, taking a step back, her wide eyes on the king's.

"You are exceedingly stupid, daughter. Any sane human would stay in their quarters instead of actively seeking out the threat that plagues their home."

A resounding click of the locks from the doors was heard behind her, causing Zelda's heart to race.

"D-Daddy, please, you're scaring me...! Please stop this!" she pleaded, her body beginning to shake with her new fear.

The king stepped down from his throne, chuckling. "Ah, I have waited long for this day, princess... And how many days has it been, wench? Since we had last met?"

The princess' whimpers began to pick up in frequency. Whoever this was, it was most definitely not her father. She then bolted for the doors, pulling on them, but the locked doors would not give away, causing the princess to slam her fists on them, screaming and pleading for help.

A hand grabbed her roughly by her bare shoulder, spinning her around to look at the "king". Only, his features began to change, morphing into someone else entirely.

The princess could not tear her terrified eyes away from this intruder, and watched as the king's eyes turned a bloody red, his form beginning to slim, lavender hair shooting from his scalp and covering an eye, until the form of a tall, pale man dressed in dark purples leered at her.

"Have you missed me, Your Grace?" Vaati purred.

Zelda let out a hair-rising scream at the sight of her past attacker, memories of her past flooding into her mind, a past that included this man who had very nearly killed her had it not been for Link saving her right on time.

Vaati's face lifted into a cruel smirk as he watched the crying and shaking princess in his grip.

"What a shame, I suppose I am the only one who missed you. Well, part of you to be exact," the sorcerer mused. He then trailed a hand to her bosom, his smirk growing wider as he surveyed her, resting his hand there. "my, it seems you have grown, princess. No longer are you an annoying snivelling brat, but you are now an annoying snivelling young woman."

Zelda's face flushed in embarrassment and she tried to wrestle from Vaati's grip, at the very least push his hand from her chest. She continued to scream and cry for help, but no one came to her aid.

"Stop your crying, it's infuriating me," he snapped, all traces of teasing gone, "clearly, you know why I am here visiting you again, don't you?" He rubbed his hand on her chest, causing the princess to burst into tears again, "I am here to take what is right fully mine... Your Light Force."

Zelda was an inconsolable mess, she could not even beg him to spare her life, unable to even string words together in her hysteria.

Vaati continued, "Of course, I have several plans... And to put them into motion, you are to come with me."

With an evil smirk, Vaati grabbed the princess, and she gave a long lasting shriek that faded into the night as they disappeared into nothingness, leaving the castle.


	2. Chapter Two: Captive

The crushing darkness only lasted for a few moments before light hit the princess' pupils again.

Once she felt her feet hit the floor, her knees buckled and she gasped and coughed for air. The sensation of warping from one destination to another almost instantly was anything but pleasant, and her lungs felt as if they had collapsed.

Before she had time to register her surroundings, she felt a pair of hands grab her and pin her against the smooth, cobblestone wall.

She let out a small cry at this, and suddenly remembered what had happened, her eyes meeting the cold, murderous red ones of her captor, and immediately, the princess whimpered piteously, her blue eyes filling with tears.

"P-Please!" she pleaded, tears cascading down her cheeks, her knees wobbling, "please, spare me!"

The tall sorcerer's hands only grasped at her delicate wrists tighter, earning a squeal of pain from the young woman.

Vaati then spoke, his voice smooth like velvet, his teasing demeanor back as he chided the princess. "Spare you?" he drawled, "after you and your precious beau had locked me away in that useless sword? Now what makes you think I am going to show you any sort of mercy, girl?"

Zelda began to sob again, her heart sinking, "D-Daddy will give you whatever you want! P-Please, please don't kill me!" she pleaded with him once again uselessly.

Vaati affected a pout, looking to the princess with mock hurt. "Princess, I'm hurt, truly I am," he said, "do you really not enjoy my company?"

Zelda shook her head frantically, earning a scoff from the sorcerer. "What a shame, I don't particularly enjoy yours, either." he retorted.

"P-Please, there must be something daddy can give you! I-I just want to go home, I want to be spared! P-Please!" she begged him again.

"Hmm, but you see, Your Grace, this is where it gets troublesome for me. As much as I would like to spare you, I'd rather not, considering you are as much as to blame as that brat in green for daring to seal me away in that metal prison."

Zelda began to weep again, and Vaati continued his chiding, "furthermore, you stupid girl, you have the rest of the Light Force. I was only able to extract two-thirds of it from you much to my annoyance, therefore, I shall be killing you to take the rest of it from you. After all, I am deserving of all the power in the world, am I not?"

"Y-You're despicable..." she choked out between her sobs.

Vaati only smirked at this, then trailed a long finger along her cheek, tracing the contour of her jaw line causing her to cringe at his touch.

"I may be despicable, but as long as I am content with myself, what care have I for lesser beings like yourself? Perhaps I shall kill you after I have gotten everything I desire from you..." he mused.

Zelda tensed, then with quivering eyes, she met his own, earning a cruel smirk from the sorcerer in return. "W-What do you mean by 'everything'..." she stammered.

Vaati pinned her more to the wall, leaning his face close to hers, earning a whimper from the princess. He then snaked his hand down to her hip, resting it there, then chuckling, he murmured, his voice smooth as velvet, "I mean deflowering you, princess. You see, it has been too long since I have felt the touch and curves of a woman's body. You will do nicely. Before I kill you, I am not completely heartless, I will show you pleasure before I snuff out your miserable life."

Zelda's eyes widened at this, and she burst into tears yet again. Vaati grinned wider at her misery, for he enjoyed teasing his prey, this little game of cat and mouse. He would play with his food before he killed it, as any predator would, and once he grew bored of playing mind games with his meal, he would devour it.

"Of course, bedding you and killing you are not the only things on my list of things to do, princess, perhaps you would like to hear what else I have on my mind? Why I have brought you here instead of simply killing you in your home?" Before Zelda could reply, Vaati pushed on, "I desire revenge against the brat in green, and what better way to lure him here than to have you as bait?"

Zelda felt her face pale and her heart sink, and with numb lips, she whispered, "Y-You will not succeed... L-Link hasn't been in Hyrule for over a year... And when he finds me, you will be sealed again..."

"Is that so? I think not, girl, considering I shall kill him before he even has a hope of saving you."

Zelda looked down again, her wrists in pain from the vice-like grip the pale sorcerer had on them, succumbing to tears yet again.

"You see, princess. If you behave, I will make your last days enjoyable. However, dare to step out of line and you shall face my wrath earlier than intended."

The princess said nothing, hanging her head in misery, feeling defeated, hoping that Link would come for her, though the odds of that happening were slim.

"Any rules that I put down, you are to follow without complaint. I punish disobedience and I punish it harshly." Vaati continued.

"Let me go..." Zelda mumbled, her head still down. Vaati ignored her, keeping up with his endless tirade of rules.

Having had enough, an idea flashed into Zelda's mind, and quickly, she brought her knee up between Vaati's legs, earning a shout of pain from the sorcerer as he let go of her to nurse his injury and the princess sprinted away from him.

"GET BACK HERE NOW!" he exploded in his rage, hissing and cursing to himself in his mother tongue as he sunk to his knees.

Zelda did not stop, rather she continued to sprint down the halls, her bare feet slapping against the marble floors of his palace as she desperately looked for a way out, her heart crashing against her chest in her fear. Vaati would be furious with her, this much was guaranteed, and she did not want to face his inevitable anger.

But alas, his palace had too many twisting and winding corridors, and hearing footsteps echoing down the hall behind her, she dove into a spare bedroom, immediately diving under the bed, a hand over her mouth in any attempt to silence her whimpers.

Within minutes, the door has slammed open against the wall, Zelda cringing in her fear, shaking violently while she hid under the large bed, hardly daring to breathe.

She watched as the red sandals walked around the room slowly, and time itself seemed to stop as she watched Vaati throw open doors and closets.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw his feet turn towards the bed, and start walking towards it.

"I can sense your fear, princess..." he said quietly, his voice oozing with murderous intent, "you cannot hide from me, despite how much you wish you could."

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, her heart hammering away in her chest, her hand still over her mouth.

She let out a scream as she was suddenly dragged out from underneath the bed, and she came face to face with Vaati, all traces of suave arrogance gone, only to be replaced by an angry, frightening mask of the Wind Sorcerer as he glared daggers at her.

"You will pay dearly for that little stunt of yours." he hissed menacingly, knotting his fingers in her long trusses of golden hair, earning a cry of pain and a sob from the helpless princess.

"P-Please! Please, Vaati!" she whimpered, however, her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"You will spend tonight in my dungeons, and for your own sake, I do hope you enjoy sleeping with the keese and skultullas, for they enjoy fresh meat."

Hearing this, Zelda sobbed, thrashing in his grip, and began to pitifully cry out for her savior, Link.

Vaati's eyes flashed in anger at the mention of the hero, and he raised his hand as if to backhand slap her. The princess flinched, shaking violently in his grip, her eyes squeezed shut.

However, he did not hit her, instead using his hand as a threatening gesture, he said coolly, "dare to mention his name under my roof again and I will not hesitate to slap you."

And then he threw her over his shoulder as he began his descent to the lower parts of his grand palace.

Zelda kicked and pounded her fists on his back, hoping she could cause him some sort of pain or discomfort, but for all of the damage that she was doing, she might as well have been giving him pats on the back.

"Let me go!" she commanded, kicking and thrashing in his grip.

Vaati ignored her, and once down at the dungeons, he opened the cell door and tossed her in, locking the door behind her.

She immediately scrambled to her feet, clutching at the cold bars of the cell. "Please! I'm sorry! Please don't do this!" she pleaded.

Vaati simply gave her a cruel smirk. "Enjoy your night in this dingy cell, girl. Had you obeyed my orders, you would have been feasting on the finest food around and sleeping in the most grand of beds. However, your bed tonight is the cold dungeon cell, and perhaps this will teach you respect."

The wind sorcerer turned, making his way up and out of the dungeon, ignoring the constant stream of pleas from the shivering princess.

It wasn't until the heavy doors slammed behind Vaati did Zelda sink to her knees and wept her heart out, huddling to herself in an effort to preserve her body heat.

"Link, where are you..." she whispered to herself, and soon, the poor princess had cried herself to sleep on the hay in the corner of the dingy cell.


	3. Chapter Three: Revenge

"Get up."

Zelda stirred, her face stiff from her dried tears, but she remained sleeping.

A shower of pebbles suddenly rained down upon the princess and she scrambled up, giving a sneeze once her eyes opened. She then looked up, shivering, her nose running and her body ice-cold.

"Sleep well?" the sorcerer mocked, a smirk lighting his face at Zelda's obvious discomfort.

Zelda gave another sneeze, rubbing her body frantically in an effort to get warm.

"Perhaps you have learned your lesson. I am not all bad, princess, I can be quite a hospitable host if need be. It all depends on your own actions."

She bit her tongue at this, she didn't need to give Vaati another reason to get mad at her, despite how much she wanted to tell him just how much she despised this loathsome excuse for a man.

Vaati unlocked her cell door, standing at the door way. "Up. Get up. And go and bathe yourself, I am tired of looking at your face while it is covered in snot."

Zelda felt anger towards the wind sorcerer and she stood, shaking violently as she pushed past him and made her way out of the dungeon. Vaati followed her, smirking to himself still as he surveyed the princess walking before him. "Your bath awaits you on the door the right. As does a new set of clothes. I will not be housing you while you look and smell like a peasant."

Zelda tried to ignore him, and was relieved when he brushed past her, his nose in the air with his arrogance, and inwardly, Zelda rolled her eyes at him.

"You are to join me for breakfast, and I expect you to look presentable." he said without even looking at her before turning a corner, disappearing from sight.

Zelda was at least relieved he was giving her some basic accommodations, and silently, she opened the door to the bathroom, giving a small gasp as a blast of hot air and steam greeted her, soothing her ice-cold body.

Wasting no time, the princess stepped into the larger than life bathroom, sighing in pleasure as the warmth washed over her skin, easing the goose bumps that covered her flesh from a night in the cold dungeons.

She looked around the room, her eyes widening at the giant sunken pool situated in the middle of the gold and marble bathroom, filled with enticingly hot water and delicious aromas, bubbles dancing along the surface of the water.

Zelda looked around, ensuring the door was locked for she did not trust the lewd sorcerer before stripping out of her summer nightgown and dipping a foot into the relaxing water, giving another sigh and a smile as she slowly sank into it.

She allowed her skin to adjust to the water, closing her eyes as the water soothed her skin and filled her with vigor and energy once again.

Starting to sing, the princess momentarily forgot about her troubles, beginning to play with the various shampoos and spices, giggling to herself as she lathered her body with whatever smelled enticing to her.

She closed her eyes and began to shampoo her long hair, bubbles covering the surface of the water. After rinsing, she stayed in the pool of water for a while longer, simply enjoying the warmth as it eased her tense muscles.

After spending a long time in the pleasant water, Zelda reached for a towel, climbing out and beginning to wring her hair, wrapping a towel around her slight frame, another in her hair, attempting to put it all away, but to not much avail.

She looked around for the new set of clothes Vaati had laid out for her, and with a huff, she found them, seeing a pair of lacy panties and a matching bra laying on top of the elaborate dress. She cursed him silently, but having no other choice, began to dress. It filled her with dread to know that he would know what she was wearing underneath, and for that, she hated him more.

Once fully dressed, she left the bathroom, a small bat-like creature with a giant eye fluttered up to her, earning a scream from the princess.

"Princess, if you would, please follow me, Master expects you in the dining room," it said to her, then flapped ahead of her.

Gathering her wits about her, she followed it, keeping her distance due to her disgust with such a grotesque looking creature, however, it had more class and manners than its master Vaati did, that was for certain.

It led her to a giant dining room, the long table filled with all sorts of delicious looking food, the smells beckoning to her, her mouth watering and her stomach grumbling.

Vaati stood from the head of the table, seeing her and he smirked, eyeing her, and she felt her skin crawl with disgust towards him.

"Sit," he commanded.

The princess obliged, but sat at the farthest seat away from him, earning a glare from the sorcerer.

"... That won't do." he said after a moment's silence, and soon, her chair began to drag itself next to him, earning a shriek from the princess seated on top of it. "Much better," he concluded, his tone dancing with glee at the princess' discomfort.

She avoided looking at him, keeping her gaze on the table, her hands on either side of her seat.

"You may eat once you have begged," he suddenly piped up, breaking her scattered thoughts.

Zelda blinked in disbelief, looking up at him. Did she hear him right?

"Can... Can you say that again?" she asked timidly.

"You must beg me to eat from this table," he repeated himself, "and you must address me as 'Master Vaati' before you do."

"I refuse!" she retorted, crossing her arms with a taut "humph!" and looking away from him. She had her pride and she would not sacrifice it to this abhorrent man.

The sorcerer's eyes narrowed. Her stubbornness was beginning to wane his patience, and he leaned forward to her, surveying her over folded hands. "So you would rather starve? Is that it?" he scoffed at her.

"I refuse to beg for a necessity such as food! My time here is limited, and if I am going to die anyway, why do I need to sacrifice my pride for you if my death is inevitable either way? Either I will starve to death or you shall kill me," she replied, her arms still tightly crossed, speaking to him without even giving him the dignity to look at him.

Vaati's eyes widened in disbelief, then he snarled at her, "your pride will be the death of you, stupid girl!"

Zelda did not budge.

"You are to beg."

Still, Zelda ignored him.

This angered the wind sorcerer greatly and he stood, tossing his eating utensils on the table, and placing his hands on either side of her chair, he caged her in, bringing his face close to hers, then growled, "beg."

Zelda only gave him a filthy glare, however in truth, she was terrified of him, but if she was going to die anyhow, what use would it be to give him whatever he wanted?

Seeing that she would not budge in her resolve, Vaati yanked on her hair, earning a cry of pain from her.

"Persistent little wench, aren't you?" he hissed.

Whimpering, Zelda still did not reply to him, only further heightening his annoyance and anger towards her.

"Your resolve will be shattered soon, you sorry excuse for a princess!" he bellowed, his temper rising.

Still, Zelda did not give him what he wanted.

He let go of Zelda's hair, and with a shout of annoyance, he shoved himself away from her and stormed out of the dining room, uttering curses upon her, her family, her kingdom, and whoever else Vaati deemed the princess held dear to her heart.

The princess was shaking, but she let him throw his temper tantrum. He was acting like a child, absolutely ridiculous.

Rubbing her scalp, she wiped her tears away, and seeing that he was gone, she immediately loaded her plate, feeling much more smug that Vaati didn't get her to beg despite him demanding her to, that she had at least preserved some of her pride. She began stuffing food into her mouth, eating quickly, manners be damned, as she shamelessly stuffed her face.

After a while, she sighed as she pushed her empty plate away, her stomach very full now, still feeling very smug indeed that she had gotten away with eating whatever she desired without having to plead for food.

The doors slammed open again, and the bad-tempered sorcerer stepped in. Seeing her, his face split into a wild grin, immediately making her uneasy.

"Come." he demanded.

Shaking, she stood, following him, hoping that whatever he had planned wouldn't physically hurt her.

They stepped onto the balcony, Vaati directing her to small kingdom in the distance. Her kingdom. Her face paled immediately.

"D-Don't..." she whimpered.

"As I have said, princess, that your insolence will always be punished."

Dark storm clouds encircled the kingdom, and the princess gasped, turning to Vaati and clutching at his arm.

"PLEASE! Please, you mustn't!" she cried, trying to sway him in his decision.

For all the good that she was doing, she might as well have not even been there, for he continued to summon a frightful storm over the kingdom, earning more pleas from the princess, who began to panic.

She watched helplessly, trying to think of ways to dissuade him.

She looked to him, feeling bile rise in her stomach at the thought of it, but suddenly she grabbed him and shoved her lips on his, feeling like slime for having to kiss him, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to distract herself from the unpleasant act.

Vaati's own eyes widened, taken off guard by the princess' hasty act, but then he smirked, pressing her to him roughly as he kissed her back with much more vigor, earning a whimper of disgust from the princess.

In Vaati's current distraction with Zelda, the storm dissipated, the sorcerer trailing his hands along the curves of her body, and with a squeak of revulsion, the princess immediately fought out of his grip, wiping her mouth with the back of her gloved hand.

She coughed and gagged, trying to wipe the taste of his lips from her own, feeling repugnant for having kissed him.

The sorcerer whipped her back to him, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"I knew you would come around, no maiden has ever been able to resist my charm." Vaati drawled, placing his hands on her hips once more.

The princess felt disgust and revulsion, her face paling at his words, her stomach clenching.

Vaati pulled Zelda to him, intending to kiss her again.

The thought of feeling his lips on hers once more sent her over the edge, and opening her mouth, her breakfast was suddenly laying in a puddle on Vaati's exposed feet, earning a cry of disgust from the sorcerer as he shoved her off of him and stalked off, trekking her pool of sick back into the palace with him.


	4. Chapter Four: The Pack

The princess was all alone in the bedroom she was sent to as punishment while Vaati cursed her in both Hylian and in his mother tongue, Picorese, for daring to project vomit onto his open soles.

In truth, while his anger was indeed terrifying, Zelda could not help but be amused as Vaati raged interchangeably between two languages, it was a rather entertaining sight, albeit in a strange and morbid way.

The young woman let a sad sigh escape her lips, bringing her knees to her chest and laying her head on them. How she missed her father, her own room, her maids... And within minutes, she found herself weeping into her knees.

The door suddenly opened, causing Zelda to look up and immediately feel dread in the pit of her belly as she saw Vaati standing in the doorway, that annoying smirk on his lips as his cold, blood-red eyes surveyed her. She instantly began backing away on the bed, keeping her wide eyes on his, whatever Vaati had in mind, she wanted no part of.

"I did not enjoy your little stunt just now." Vaati said flatly.

Zelda's lower lip quivered, "W-Well it's not my fault I became sick..."

"Yes, but it is your fault that you decided to get sick all over my shoes."

Zelda said nothing at this, quivering, her nerves on edge as she watched the Wind Sorcerer apprehensively, wondering just what this man was going to do to her as punishment this time. Inexplicably, her mind found Link again, and she wondered where he was, for she desperately wished for her savior to come to her rescue.

Vaati stepped into the room, and slowly, while keeping his red eyes on hers, he closed the door behind him, and began to walk towards her with a confident gait.

As soon as the door clicked shut and he began sauntering towards her, Zelda felt anxiety at this, getting off of the bed and beginning to back away for every step he took towards her.

She watched as his long fingers began to unclasp his cape, his self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he surveyed the cowering princess.

"I am well aware that today is your birthday, Your Grace..." he uttered, dropping his cape on the floor and strutting towards the whimpering princess.

Zelda pressed herself against the stone wall, her whimpers increasing in frequency as Vaati continued to strip his many layers of clothing with every step that he took towards the trembling princess.

"N-No! Don't come any closer!" she gasped, her wide eyes on his, trembling in her fear. "D-Don't come any closer!" Her heart raced frantically in her chest and she pressed herself more to wall, desperately wishing that somehow, she could melt into it and escape Vaati for good.

She then suddenly found herself pinned to the wall, and blushing wildly in embarrassment, she began thrashing in the half-nude sorcerer's grip as he grinned down at her, placing his hands on either side of her hips, easing his knee between her legs.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, trying to keep her eyes off of his lean build, whimpering and trembling in both her fear and embarrassment. Did he have no shame? The princess daren't lay her virgin eyes upon Vaati's build, for any sign of the opposite sex's anatomy filled her with shame and awkwardness. She silently thanked the goddesses that he had at the very least kept his low-riding pants on, though it wasn't that much of an improvement the princess thought sourly.

Vaati simply kept his crooked grin on his face, watching her as he leaned down and nipped at her neck, earning a gasp and a sob from the princess as she tried to wriggle free from his grasp again.

"You know, girl, it would be best if you stopped your snivelling and accepted the birthday gift I am about to bestow upon you. That way, we may both enjoy it." he growled, his face buried into the crook of her neck as he massaged her hips through her dress, brushing his lips along her nape.

"N-No! Get off of me!" she shrieked, trying with all of her might to push Vaati off of her.

The wind sorcerer only pressed his body against hers again, smirking down at the squirming princess.

"And if I don't?" he teased, beginning to trail kisses along her neck once again as his hands trailed up and down her soft womanly curves.

It was instantaneous. One moment Vaati was attempting to seduce her, and the next he was writhing on the ground, nursing his crotch as Zelda stepped over him, flung open the bedroom door and raced out of the bedroom as Vaati yelled curses after her in his pain and fury.

She bolted down the winding hallways, her heart crashing in her chest, her breath coming in short little gasps. She simply had to find a way out, she could not handle the abuse that the sorcerer was throwing at her any longer.

Sprinting down the winding corridors, ducking along cryptic passageways and skidding around corners, the princess ran, wildly looking about for a way out of her jail.

Soon, after rounding another corner, she came across the large double doors much to her delight. The main doors to his palace stood before her, overwhelmingly large and menacing, as if meant to deter any prisoners from leaving or any visitors from entering.

Gathering up her nerve, the princess darted up to them and she pushed against it with all her might, her frail muscles screaming in protest. Finally, the doors gave way, leaving a big enough indent for the princess to slip through and out into the harsh night.

Without wasting any time, she braved the harsh winds and made her way out of the castle grounds, ignoring the blasting cold that nipped and bit at her exposed flesh.

Surely, Vaati would be furious now, even more so when he would discover the princess had made her bid for freedom.

Zelda made her way down from the palace grounds, and once she felt her feet touch the springy earth, she raced off again into the black night.

The wind picked up in severity, earning a shriek from the princess due to the harshness of it. Her clothes whipped around her shivering body, but she willed herself to keep going. She must find salvation, it was the only option for her survival.

Menacing clouds began to circle each other in the sky as she ran, lightning flashing above them, illuminating the frightening scene.

He knew.

And the princess also knew that he would be searching for her now, intending to punish her severely.

This only pushed her resolve further as she forced herself through the open fields of Hyrule, her fear towards the sorcerer being the driving force behind her will to escape from his clutches and survive.

The wind licked against her exposed flesh, the princess shivering violently from the cold of Vaati's storm, huddling herself in an effort to keep warm as she forced herself to keep going. If not for her, than at least for her father, who would be worried sick over his missing daughter. The thought of her father filled Zelda with determination, and she pushed on through the terrible winds that Vaati was whipping up.

However, time seemed to pass slowly, her legs soon aching from the long trek from Vaati's palace to where she was now. The muscles in her legs were burning in protest to having walked for so long in the rough terrain of Hyrule, but she forced herself to keep going, her breath stabbing at her lungs, every intake of air causing her searing pain.

Suddenly, a brightness on the horizon amidst all of the darkness around her caught her eye, and squinting against the razor-sharp wind, she saw a little hut situated before her with a welcoming warm light emanating from it.

She felt elated at this and willed herself forward. Surely the inhabitants of this little hut would accommodate her for the night if she explained her situation to them and just who she was. She was certain her father would repay the owner handsomely for her safe return.

Feeling reassured by these thoughts, Zelda hurried towards the little hut, slamming her fist on the door.

"Hello!" she bellowed over the wind, "hello, is anyone in there?"

Several moments passed and then she heard heavy footfalls behind the door.

Light spilled out of the cabin's door, and allowing her eyes to adjust, she looked up and saw the form of a large man who in turn looked back down at her in befuddlement.

"What? Who're you supposed to be?" the hulk of a man asked gruffly, confusion etched into the lines of his face as he surveyed the shivering princess before him, "and what're yeh doin' out in this storm?"

Zelda felt uneasy about trusting this stranger with her safety, but alas, it was either trust him, or trust the murderous wind mage who was currently searching for her with her life.

And so she chose to trust this strange man.

"P-Please! Please, I humbly beg of you to let me spend the night here! I'm so far from home, and Vaati has kidnapped me and was holding me hostage until I had managed to escape!" she pleaded, her wide eyes imploring his narrow dark ones.

"Vaati? That damned wind sorcerer?" he asked. Fear seemed to settle into this large man's form, and behind him, Zelda saw two other gruff men gather behind him curiously, looking over his shoulder at Zelda. "Yeh mean he's back? What in the bloody hell? And we had entrusted that kid to have sealed him away fer good!"

She felt a pang of hurt at his judgement towards Link, but she brushed it off. She would need to appeal to his better nature, not chide him for his insult towards her best friend.

"Y-Yes, he's back! And he intends to kill me, please, my father will reward you handsomely for my safe return to the castle!" she pressed on.

"The castle? You tryin' to pull our leg, girl? Just who do yeh think you are?" the man demanded, narrowing his dirty eyes at the princess again. The other two behind him watched the scene, murmuring towards each other as they took a swig of their bottles, carefully watching the princess.

Zelda bit her lip, then replied, "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. My father is the King Daltus. If you all want riches, my father will happily give them to you should you return me home! All I require is a place to stay for the night out of Vaati's grip!"

The men's eyes widened, staring at her with their mouths agape.

"The princess?!" they shouted in disbelief. Murmuring to each other more heatedly, the two men behind the first pushed him out of the way and stepped aside. "Make yerself at home, princess. Quickly, before that sorcerer finds out and kills you and us!"

Zelda's face split into a beaming smile at their kindness and she hurried into the dirty hut, thanking them profusely.

She did not catch the foul grins they exchanged with each other as they shut the door behind her.

"Yeah... yeah, you make yerself at home, girl... Tell us, how much is yer dad gonna pay for yer return...?" one of the men asked, taking his seat across from Zelda as he took another long swig of his bottle.

The other two men sat around her, opposite of the other man, keeping their gazes on her and constantly looking towards the shaking door for any sign of an intrusion. In truth, they feared Vaati, they knew of his power and they also knew that if Vaati found them, he would most likely kill them and possibly her as well.

Zelda did not sit, finding the filth in the cabin to be a bit too much for her liking, and addressing the first man, she answered, "however much you all desire!"

The man grinned widely, showing his rotting, yellow teeth, his friends chuckling behind her.

"That so?" he mused, taking another swig of the dusty bottle as he kept his crinkled eyes on hers.

"Y-Yes..." she said, suddenly feeling uneasy as she felt three pairs of eyes surveying her. She felt uneasy about these strangers now, her gut feeling telling her to leave.

The men looked to each other, grinning widely, one of them piping up behind her, "hey, princess, you wanna have some fun before you go home?"

One of the men behind her stood, locking the heavy door, the atmosphere in the tiny hut shifting, and Zelda felt fear enter her heart. The men looked to her, like wolves cornering a deer before they attacked her.

"N-No..." she said quietly, and slowly, she began to back away, causing the other two men who were sitting to stand and match her steps towards her, laughing to themselves. She almost wished she was back in the Wind Palace with Vaati at this rate. She continued to step back, until her behind hit the wall of the shed. She began to tremble, her blue eyes darting from one advancing man to another, feeling utterly helpless, praying silently for help, for she knew she was in terrible danger now.

"Yeh said we had to return you, but yeh didn't say we couldn't have our fun with yeh first..." the first man said as he advanced towards the shaking princess still.

"P-Please, d-don't come any closer!" she said, her voice building into an octave, earning a rambunctious laugh from the filthy men.

In a desperate plea for freedom, Zelda tried to dart past the bulky, smelly men towards the door, and suddenly, without warning, they had grabbed her roughly by her wrist, yanking her back to them, Zelda's shriek piercing the dark night.


	5. Chapter 5: An Unlikely Turn of Events

**A/N: He****y guys! Thanks for all the positive reviews! Really appreciate them, it's making me actually stick to this story, and hopefully, it will make me stick to it all the way to the end! Your reviews push me on!**

**Here's chapter five, enjoy!**

* * *

She couldn't believe this was happening. It was almost surreal as she fought for herself against these men, her shrieks, pleas and cries ringing throughout the hut and into the night.

She felt fear and panic in her heart like never before, as these strange men tore off her dress like a pack of hungry wolves, the princess continuing to scream and cry for any help. She was deeply regretting ever coming to this hut, sobs wracking her body as she felt their hands travel over her form.

A ringing slap across her cheek, leaving her dazed, as one of the men hissed for her to shut her mouth before she brought any attention to the hut, and this only made Zelda cry harder.

As they continued with tearing off her layers of clothing, she continued to beat her fists on them, pushing against the one who shoved her down and who began to undress himself as his buddies watched and leered at her as if she were a piece of fresh meat. She continued to let out blood-curdling screams, earning another blow to her face, reducing the princess to wracking sobs as she went limp under the heavy man.

She felt hopeless, continuing to cry, her tears staining the grimy floorboards, keeping her gaze away from the man as he undressed.

As she felt her body be pulled towards him, she thrashed again, screaming and pleading with them to stop, but her cries fell onto deaf ears, the man forcing her legs apart, the other men undressing as well, earning more frantic shrieks from the princess.

She pushed weakly against his hairy chest as he straddled her, her tears cascading out of her eyes.

"Please! PLEASE STOP DOING THIS! HELP! HELP!" she screeched hopelessly as she continued to try and fight off her attackers, hoping against all odds that someone, anyone would hear her.

The men only laughed rambunctiously at her pleas, however their laughter was cut short as the door suddenly slammed open and their heads whipped towards it, shouting in their shock and surprise.

They scrambled off of the naked and violently sobbing princess, who in turn scurried away from them to the corner of the small hut, crying as she huddled into herself in an attempt to conceal herself from them.

The men glared at the intruder, drawing their knives.

"Who the fuck are you, what're yeh doin' interruptin' our fun?!" one of them shouted, his drooping eyes glaring at the silhouette of the intruder.

Lightning flashed behind the intruder's form, illuminating the tall body of the angry sorcerer, his visible red eye surveying the three men with a look of disgust evident within it. His face, however, remained unreadable.

Sobbing and quivering in the corner, the princess looked up, seeing the frightening sorcerer step in, seeming unnaturally calm, his noticeable eye on the trio of dirty men, who in turn brandished their knives at him.

"Y-You..." one of the men piped up, and mustering as much bravado as he could, he spat at the sorcerer's feet, meeting his eyes again and continuing, "who the fuck do yeh think you are bargin' in on us?! Yeh think you were invited? Huh?!"

Vaati glanced down to his feet, then back up to the grungy men, still silent. However, it seemed his silence was more frightening than whatever words he could fling at the men.

Glancing to the shaking and crying princess in the corner, he glared at her, then back to the three men, addressing Zelda but not bothering to look at her, "it seems you have been punished enough, but perhaps I should let these men have their way with you, princess? Perhaps then you will know never to disobey me again. And if you think I am going to play the role of your hero, you are sadly mistaken."

The men relaxed at this, giving Vaati a toothy grin, one which he did not return, causing the princess' heart to drop to her stomach, and with numb lips, she pleaded with the sorcerer, "V-Vaati, please...! Please, don't leave me here, I'm sorry!"

Vaati glared at the naked princess, then made to leave, stepping out of the door, getting a shriek from her as she got up to chase him, only to be held down again by the men, screaming and sobbing all over again as she pleaded pitifully with either party.

"Looks like that sorcerer is on our side, princess!" one of the men purred as he pulled the hysterical princess to him, his buddies laughing.

"NO! VAATI! VAATI!" she screamed in desperation as she fought and wrestled weakly in the man's grip, only making the men laugh in amusement.

The one holding her let his eyes crawl all over her, and in desperation, the princess tried to hide herself again, feeling ashamed and petrified.

She was forced down once more, and as the man made to kiss her forcefully, he suddenly let go, gagging and coughing as he sank to his knees, his hands flying to his throat, fear evident on his grungy face as he struggled for air.

His friends looked at him, shock and confusion flitting across their faces. "H-Hey, what're you doing?! Stop joking around and get up!"

Zelda watched with wide eyes, shaking violently as she saw his face turn many different shades of colors, before his eyes rolled back into his skull and he fell with a mundane finality.

The other two surveyed the scene, beginning to panic, looking to each other in confusion, blaming each other for the death of their friend before looking to Zelda, who in turn flinched and cringed away from them, whimpering helplessly.

"What's going on here?! What'd yeh you do to him?!" one of them shouted at her, yanking her up by her hair, earning a scream from the kicking princess.

"I-I don't know! P-Please let me go!" she cried, her hands trying to yank his thick one from her hair.

"So yeh think he just dropped dead, huh?!"

As he made to hit her again, he flinched, beginning to convulse violently, his sausage-like fingers untangling themselves from her blond hair.

Shaking, Zelda looked up at him and screamed at the gruesome site as she saw his tremors increasing in frequency, his face paling as blood gushed from his mouth, pooling under him as he, too, sank to his knees like his deceased buddy had before him.

The third man let out a cry of fear, backing away from the dying man, drawing his pocket knife and whipping his head around. He knew that there was an unseen menace in the air, that his two friends had not died due to natural causes.

Once Zelda was let go, she huddled herself pitifully in the corner of the hut again, curling up into a terrified ball.

"S-Show yourself!" the stocky man shouted, his bloodshot eyes bugged out of his skull as he whipped his head around for any sign of an intruder.

A chuckle filled the stale air, and soon, Vaati had returned, smirking at the large man who fixated his dirty eyes on the sorcerer.

"A shame. I was hoping you three oafs would have more fight in you, for the big show of bravado you had shown me," Vaati voiced. His teeth glistened, and the man began to shake violently as he watched the sorcerer, his jagged knife pointed towards Vaati, "however, if I must say, my prisoner has been punished rather well by you three buffoons, therefore, I believe I shall be taking her back now."

Zelda felt dread at this, however she was too hysterical due to the near rape she had nearly been a victim of, and so she continued to huddle into herself as she wept continually.

The man said nothing, keeping his eyes on Vaati, who turned, walking towards the princess as he frowned down at the quivering ball.

Zelda stayed huddled into herself, her weeping reaching his ears, and Vaati scowled in annoyance.

"I hope you know very well that this is the last time I will ever play the role of your hero, princess," he said, "and perhaps this night has taught you a well deserved lesson."

He seemed to be in deep thought as Zelda did not even answer him, but only continued to weep. It wasn't until she felt cloth drape over her naked form did she peek up, seeing his cape over her nude form.

"You are stubborn, girl, and to be quite frank, it grinds my nerves. However, I have no use for a crying, humiliated maiden, so cover yourself," he snorted.

She heard heavy footfalls behind him, and she gave a frightened gasp as she saw her attacker lunge at the sorcerer, but Vaati was quicker, turning and catching the man's wrist as he made to bring his knife down upon the wind mage.

The man let out a grunt, thrashing in Vaati's vice-like grip, giving him a murderous glare.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he seethed, hissing through his rotting teeth as he continued to try and pry his weapon from Vaati's grip.

A frightening, dark look crossed the sorcerer's face and Vaati grinned widely, flashing his glistening teeth, a burning smell filling the cabin as smoke fanned up from the man's wrist, earning a scream of agony from the bulky man.

He fell to his knees in a desperate attempt to uncurl the warlock's long fingers from his wrist, giving shrieks one after the other as the smell became more rancid, filling Zelda's nose and causing her to gag.

The man began to plead pitifully, his nose running and tears leaking out of his eyes from the abhorrent pain as he continued to scream for mercy from Vaati, twitching in his agony from Vaati's implemented spell.

Finally, he let go, laughing to himself as he saw the heavy man drag himself to the other corner of the shed, nursing his wound as he wept like a child.

Zelda's eyes focused on the wound and her face paled as she saw his skin cooked, bubbling grotesquely, boils forming and popping on his wrist as the rancid smell of cooking flesh got worse.

The man cradled his wrist to himself, crying unashamedly as he cowered from Vaati's slow advancements.

She looked to Vaati, feeling his menace emanate off of him in waves, and she, too, cowered. She had never seen the mage house such hatred and animosity for anyone before. At least not in front of her. She was sure, however, that given the chance, if he met Link once again, the sorcerer would be acting in the same way towards her best friend, perhaps even worse.

She was silently thankful she hadn't forced this behavior out of him herself, and she prayed she never would.

Vaati grabbed the man by his greasy shirt, lifting him off of the ground then and her eyes widened. He seemed to do it effortlessly.

The man thrashed and mewled in Vaati's grip, his wrist now leaking, and as much as Zelda was horrified and disgusted by the entire scene, she could not force her eyes away.

"Princess, I suggest you look away, unless you wish to see more bodily horrors," Vaati said. His tone was nonchalant, as if he were commenting on something as simple as the weather.

His complete disregard for his acts of cruelty frightened the princess terribly, but she took his advice and ducked her face under his thick cape, sniffling and shaking.

"NO! PLEASE!" the man cried, trying to pull Vaati's pale fingers from his shirt, "I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

"Hmm, a shame. You see, dunce, I have far better things to do than to kill peasants such as yourself. However, when you decided to threaten my Light Force, it became personal," she heard Vaati state matter-of-factly.

So that was all she was to him. She remembered now that although he had saved her, it was for nothing but his own personal gain, and she felt tears escape her eyes again at this.

The man began to whimper, fear in his eyes as he surveyed Vaati's abnormally calm face.

"P-Please, I won't do it again, yeh hear?!" he said, desperation in his voice.

"And did you honestly believe that you would have been able to kill me? With that rusted butter knife of yours?" Vaati laughed. There was no humor in it however, and once he had finished laughing, his eyes hardened again and that twisted smile appeared on his face once more.

"I'm sorry!" the man shouted, reduced to sobs again.

"Since I am feeling rather thoughtful, I will give you a choice,"

The filthy man looked hopeful at this, looking to Vaati, waiting to his hear his options. Zelda, too, strained her ears to listen as she lay huddled up in Vaati's cape.

The sorcerer kept his blood-red eye on the man, and then said, "I will give you the choice on how to die. You will have two choices. I am a very lenient man, and I am quite thoughtful, not entirely heartless," the warlock stated.

She felt the man's fear despite not even looking at him, and heard his pleas for his life again.

"Hmm, that won't do. Why don't I choose for you? Either have your skin peel itself from your bones, or perhaps you would rather your innards melt?"

She heard the man sob desperately again, but she felt no pity for him, only fear towards the sorcerer Vaati.

Suddenly, a blood curdling scream filled the cabin, cutting off with a gurgle as Vaati killed the man in his grip, dropping the carcass to the floor in a puddle of its own flesh, earning a sickening "plop" from it.

Zelda did not dare to look up, her whimpers audible from the corner of the cabin.

She heard Vaati's footsteps approaching her and she only hugged herself tighter, shaking more violently.

She felt his presence above her, however she remained under the cape, sniffling.

"This is the last time I shall play as your hero, princess. I have no desire to fill the shoes of your lover, for his acts disgust me, as does any hero's acts for that matter. I have far better things to do than to babysit you," she heard him say.

She felt herself being lifted off the ground and she burst into fresh tears. Tears that were a confusing mixture of fear, gratitude, and shame.

She felt Vaati hesitate for a moment while holding her, and she wondered in the back of her mind why this was.

But within minutes, she felt the compressing darkness of teleportation and the deafening silence that accompanied it as they both left the scene of the crime.

* * *

The King of Hyrule sat in his throne, weeping into his large hands as his servants tried their best to comfort their distraught king.

It had been nights ever since his daughter's inexplicable disappearance, and not only was his kingdom in an uproar, but so were the visiting dignitaries as kingdoms far and wide posted alerts for the missing princess of Hyrule.

"Y-You are m-my last hope!" the king sobbed, wiping his tears from his fat face before succumbing to them again, sobbing violently, "please, you must find her!"

The young man kneeled before the king gave a curt nod, then responded, his head still bowed, "I will, Sire. I will do whatever it takes to ensure she comes home safely."

The king wailed once again as the servants clumsily tried to comfort him once more.

"I-I have my trust in you. You have saved this kingdom from ruin before, I have utter faith in you! All of the knights in Hyrule will n-never be able to match your bravery and courage! Please, save my daughter! Find her, Link, hero of Hyrule!" he said between his wracking sobs.

The hero stood, adjusting his green cap over his mop of blond hair once again, his boyish features serious, yet there was pain and heartbreak in his blue eyes as he nodded towards the king again.

"Sire, I promise you... I will find her..." he murmured to the wailing king.

And with that, Link grabbed his sword, and turning, he exited the palace into the black night to search for his beloved princess.


	6. Chapter 6: Indecision and Determination

The deafening silence lifted, oxygen filling the princess' lungs once again as she gave a gasp for it before resuming her crying.

She knew she was back at the Palace of Winds, however, anywhere was better than that rotting hut she had been in literally moments ago. As much as she hated being with Vaati, at least she was safe for the night. That much she knew.

As she continued to sob in Vaati's arms, she felt the sorcerer begin to walk as he carried her. No words were exchanged between them as he hauled her through the empty halls of his quiet palace. It wasn't until she felt a bed under her did she peek up from under the silk cape to look around at her surroundings, then up at him.

Vaati looked back down at her, his expression hard and his jaw clenched, however he said nothing to the shaking princess as he turned and took a seat opposite from the bed, his limbs crossed as he continued to survey her cautiously. She could not make sense of his strange behavior, so rather than continue to challenge his gaze, she closed her eyes, tears leaking out of them as she did.

Minutes passed in silence, Zelda's mind frazzled, her thoughts a mess as she tried to drift into an uneasy sleep, but the memories of the recent past continued to flit around in her mind, causing her anxiety to pique and thus keeping her wide awake.

She soon heard the rustle of fabric, and opening her eyes again, she was stunned to see Vaati walking towards her, causing her to cringe away from him in turn.

Seeing this, the sorcerer produced a scowl on his face, bringing her back to him, Zelda fighting in his grip.

"D-Don't touch me!" the princess shouted, trying to yank her arm from his grip.

"Is this any way to repay your savior, girl?" he hissed, keeping his grip on her wrist.

Shaking with her fright, Zelda looked back up at him and mustered an angry glare despite her fear.

"T-Thank-you," she said coldly.

"You're welcome," he retorted, "now stay still."

Instead of listening to him, she began to fight in his grip again, trying to yank his iron grip from her delicate wrist, only angering Vaati more.

"I have saved your pitiful life, princess! One would think you would be grateful!" he snapped.

Glaring at the warlock again, the princess stopped her squirming, then told him, her voice wavering, "V-Vaati, you are to blame for that situation! Had you never kidnapped me at all or tried to seduce me despite my telling you to stop, I wouldn't have been in that position at all!"

Vaati glared at Zelda, for once his sharp tongue was quelled.

"I am not to blame for your blatant disregard for my rules," he finally said.

Zelda huffed in her annoyance, her gaze now fixated away from his. She knew he would never admit that he was indeed to blame for the near rape Zelda had experienced. His pride and narcissism blinded him, or perhaps impeded his judgement of the truth.

She felt his long fingers brush her face and she flinched, giving a yelp of pain as she felt them press on her swollen eyes.

"Hush up, you are distracting me," he hissed again at her as his fingers continued to trace intricate patterns along her bruised and tight face.

Hearing this did not ease Zelda's conscience, and immediately, she began thrashing in his grip once more, causing the sorcerer to heave an angry, frustrated sigh as he pinned her down on the bed again with both hands.

"Let me go!" she cried, still pitifully trying to pry herself from his strong grip.

"Then perhaps you would rather walk around with your face like a blimp for the coming weeks, would you, you infuriating wench?"

Zelda went limp under him, beginning to cry once again, ignoring the pain of her throbbing face.

The coming weeks. So she only had weeks to live, was that it?

Seeing she went limp once again, Vaati extracted one of his hands from her wrists and began to trace invisible patterns on her face once again.

She tensed, feeling a coolness wash over wounds, one that permeated her skin and dug into the muscles of her cheeks, her eyes, her mouth.

In truth, it was pleasant. It soothed the raw, angry ache in her muscles and replaced it with a pleasant coldness that eased her pain, and soon, she felt the coolness leave her flesh, eliminating the painful throbbing in her face and leaving it feeling refreshed and healed.

Gingerly, Zelda touched her face, and when her nerves did not scream in protest, she pressed on it, surprised to see that his spell had healed her.

The princess finally looked up at Vaati, confusion etched onto her fine features. Vaati, however, kept his mask of cool indifference on his face, letting go of her wrist and making to leave the room without a word.

Stumped, the princess finally spoke up to Vaati's retreating form."T-Thank-you..." she mumbled, her eyes watching him as he walked away from her.

The sorcerer stopped at this, but kept his back towards her.

Silence settled into the room, Zelda feeling uneasy by it and clutching his cape around her nude form tighter, she waited apprehensively for the sorcerer to say something. Anything.

Finally, he turned a small fraction of his face towards her, his visible red eye glaring at her, causing her to flinch back.

"I-I'm sorry..." she apologized sheepishly. Did he not like it when people thanked him for a good deed?

Vaati then turned fully towards her and he seemed to appraise the princess, a deep frown etched into his face as he surveyed her, causing Zelda to feel more unease at this though she said nothing.

"You are thanking me? Are you ill? Senile?" he finally quipped.

Zelda felt annoyance and irritation leak back into her being at his blatant disregard for her show of appreciation and she puffed her cheeks angrily at him. Of course Vaati would rebuff any kindness. She was a fool for thinking otherwise she thought bitterly.

"No! I'm fine! I just suppose you don't know how to accept any gratitude that anyone would show you!" she said flatly.

The sorcerer glared at her before replying, "your stubbornness irks me greatly, princess. And now if you don't have anything absolutely ridiculous to say anymore, I shall be taking my leave,"

Zelda said nothing more to him, simply glad that he was leaving, simply watching as he turned once again without any more words to her and opened the large double doors.

"Why did you save me..." she suddenly mumbled loud enough for him to hear. Her tone held no hostility towards him in it this time, rather she was genuinely curious.

Vaati stopped at the doorway, his back to her, as if considering her question.

"You could have let them have their way with me... Surely, that would have been punishment, Vaati...? And... You healed their marks on me," she kept her blue eyes on his back before continuing, "Why?"

Vaati glanced at her, and she caught his red eyes glaring at her silently.

He did not reply.

She sat up wrapping his cape more snuggly around her form. In truth, she was still afraid of him, but his strange acts of mercy, at least to her, left her baffled and she wanted an explanation.

"Why did you do it?" she repeated again.

Finally, Vaati sneered at her, seeming to have finally come up with an answer, "Your Light Force, princess. I have no other reason to spare you aside from that and luring that clown of a hero to my home."

Zelda bit her lip, looking down. She began to play with the smooth fabric in her hands as she considered this.

Something did not add up. If that were the case, then why did he put her out of her suffering? Why did he heal her?

She heard the tap of his shoes as they hit the mahogany floors of his palace, and within moments, he was standing before her, glaring down at her.

Immediately, she flinched back. Though he had saved her and healed her, she did not at all forgive him, and she felt nothing but revulsion towards this man. A random act of kindness did not excuse his hundreds of bad ones.

Vaati seemed to glower at her again for several more minutes before opening his mouth once again, "Do not think I house any affection towards you, princess. You are but a leech. A means to power."

Hearing this, Zelda felt as if she were slapped in the face, and her hatred towards this sorry excuse for a man grew as she stared at a loose thread on his cape, angry tears in her eyes.

"That still doesn't explain why you healed me!" she bit back.

Again, silence from the sorcerer, and she felt the tension in the air.

Finally, "Oh, but it does. I value my eyesight, I didn't want to look at your face in my home while it was swollen like that. No maiden in my humble abode is permitted to walk around sporting such a grotesque look."

Her nostrils flared and she felt rage bubbling up in her belly. She turned away from him, refusing to even look at him.

"J-Just leave me alone!" she cried, scooting away from him on the large bed.

She heard Vaati scoff in his arrogance before he shot back, "with pleasure."

She did not look back in his direction, even when she heard the doors slam behind him, taking the tension and hatred from the room with him.

She immediately felt tears cascading down her cheeks once he had left the room, feeling her sobs wrack her body.

"Link... Where are you..." she whispered as she laid on the bed and hugged a pillow to her body, breaking down shamelessly into it.

By far the worst birthday she ever had, she thought to herself before her sobs lulled her into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The crisp grass crunched under the young man's boots, his sword bumping his hip with every step he took.

Link trekked through the rough terrain of Hyrule's proud landscapes, calling at the top of his lungs for Zelda, hoping against all odds that somehow, the princess would hear him and bound into his arms once again.

With every couple of steps the hero took, he cried out for her name, but alas, nothing greeted him but the soft blowing winds on Hyrule's grassland.

Link stopped his voyage for several moments after his tedious adventuring, heaving a sigh and clenching his fists as he looked down to his worn boots.

He felt a single tear roll down his cheek as he thought of the current situation, guilt clawing at his insides and licking at his conscience.

"Zelda... I'm so sorry..." he mumbled to himself as he flopped down onto the grass.

The feelings of remorse over not being present to protect his best friend began to consume him, and soon, more tears slipped out of his eyes.

Zelda... The woman he loved. He had planned to marry her once he had returned from his adventuring, and now, there was a chance she was in morbid danger.

He slammed his fist onto the ground, heaving a shaky breath.

He had been exploring the vast lands beyond Hyrule, honing his blade and increasing his abilities as a knight before he had received the grave news of Princess Zelda's strange disappearance.

When he had received the urgent letter, he had felt himself go numb, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating and time itself had frozen.

Without having even paid the postman, Link had immediately set off for Hyrule once again, praying to the golden Goddesses that this letter was only a hoax as the postman chased after him demanding pay.

He regretted never writing to her, however, every letter she had sent him, he saved and treasured. He preserved each and every one, and would always go back and re-read them again and again, feeling his heart lift as he imagined her hand flitting across the parchment and writing such sweet words to him.

They smelled like her. Sweet. And with every letter, he was that much more eager to return to Hyrule to her.

But how things had changed so suddenly. He would have never imagined that his princess would fall into danger once again.

Link sucked in a shaky breath once more in an attempt to soothe his growing hysteria before picking himself off the ground.

"Where would she be..." he mused to himself, thinking long and hard.

Was there anyone out in the kingdom who desired her dead?

Link's face creased into a frown as he considered this, his mind whirring before finally coming to an answer.

There was one. No one in the kingdom wished ill will upon the princess of Hyrule except him.

"He can't have... So soon? How could he break free of that sword in only a few years...?!" he brainstormed to himself.

As ludicrous as it was, Link could not shake the nagging feeling in his gut that yes, Vaati had broken free.

But he would have to make sure of this.

Immediately, the blond hero sprinted off towards the Four Sword Sanctuary, praying that his gut feeling was wrong.

How could the sorcerer have broken free of his prison so early? How was it possible? The Four Sword was supposed to contain his menace, and yet it failed to do so! his thoughts nagged as he ran in the direction of the sanctuary.

The tall, impressive architecture of the sanctuary greeted him on the horizon after a long while of running and Link willed his feet to go faster, soon flinging the doors open and hurrying inside.

Light shone down from the ceiling above the pedestal, and settling his eyes on it, Link felt ice in his stomach at the sight.

The Four Sword was not standing proudly in its pedestal, rather it was lying pathetically on the ground.

Link sank to his knees, feeling numb all over as his eyes stayed on the dormant Four Sword.

"He's free..." he whispered to himself as his hollow eyes stayed glued to the weapon.

And in that moment, Link knew what he had to do. Slowly, he stood and dragged himself to the sword, picking it up and examining the blade.

The sword seemed to vibrate in his hand, almost as if it were welcoming him, recognizing its last Master.

Determination filled the blue eyes of the hero and he gripped the hilt tightly.

"I'm coming, Zelda... I'll save you, and I'll seal Vaati up again. I promise," he said to no one in particular as he continued to survey the sheen of the blade, his eyes burning with purpose.

Sheathing the Four Sword, Link turned and headed out of the Sanctuary, concluding to himself, "but not without the help of the best Minish craftsman around..."


End file.
